What can I do about my kid who refuses to go to school?

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asked Apr 9, 2022 in Other-Education by Kgarfield (17,090 points)
What can I do about my kid who refuses to go to school?

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answered Apr 9, 2022 by walkingmore (15,870 points)
If your kid refuses to go to school you should first find out what is making your kid not want to go to school.

When your kid refuses to go to school don't make a big deal about it or start forcing him or her to go on that day.

Allow the kid to stay home for at least that one day and discuss with your kid about why they don't want to go to school.

The kid may be getting bullied or they are being teased etc in school or they may be facing a test that they are wanting to avoid etc.

However if the kid still does not want to go to school then you will either have to start homeschooling them or literally force them to go to school.

I remember not wanting to go to school when I was a kid and I would fake sick to avoid it.

My dad used to literally carry me into school and drag me into school with me kicking and screaming and holding onto things etc.

After awhile I calmed down in the school but I always hated it.

Sometimes you'll have to literally just force the kid to go to school because it's a law and you and the kid can get into trouble for not having the child in school.

Children can refuse to go to school for a number of reasons, including social anxiety and depression.

Let the school know what’s going on.

You could talk to your child's teacher, year coordinator or principal If the first person you contact at school isn’t helpful, you can ask them to refer you to someone else.

Find out about the school’s attendance policies and procedures.

This will help you to avoid any legal or financial penalties while you try to address the problem.

Cooperate with the school and your child to improve their attendance.

Working together with the school will give your teen the best chance of overcoming their anxieties about school.

Focus on trying to make school a structured and predictable part of your teen’s life.

Some practical steps could be to ask the school to:

    Share lesson plans with you and your child
    Excuse your child from activities that make them anxious eg. reading aloud
    Let you know if there will be a substitute teacher
    And organize regular meetings with your main contact at the school.

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